We can’t deny that Respect My Region is still new in the world of legal cannabis. Like most brands, we experience our own headaches and speed-bumps. Thanks to Marijuana Venture and the Oregon cannabis community, our first Retail & Dispensary Expo experience was extremely valuable.
Walking through the RAD Expo, I didn’t see any empty vendor spaces and there wasn’t a single location where attendees bottlenecked into an uncomfortable funnel. Focusing primarily on the growth of the actual industry, this event wasn’t overcrowded and provided maximum value for our small business.
Since there wasn’t a heavy focus on bringing in thousands and thousands of people from outside the current industries, those of us who needed to spend quality time with people were actually able to. The quality time we spent with attendees was one of the biggest reasons we enjoyed this event.
Five Things We Loved About The RAD Expo
#1 – Prior to the expo, there was great digital communication between the Marijuana Venture staff and our team.
#2 – We showed up at the expo and there were zero issues with finding our booth and dealing with the convention center staff. Everything was handled flawlessly in our opinion and we really appreciated the check-ins during the actual event.
#3 – Thanks to the overall size of the expo, we were able to connect with just about every single guest who came close to our booth. Although we did get busy, the 4-5 of us managing the booth was actually able to handle the busiest moments.
#4 – We had ZERO issues with the WiFi. At other major conferences and conventions, we’ve had major problems operating as a media outlet that thrives on sharing live experiences on social media. This was hugely beneficial for us to build content as well as showcase our digital portfolio.
#5 – Having this as an industry-only event was crucial towards maximizing the overall value of this expo. It’s not that we don’t want to connect with the public, it’s just more important to connect with them online where businesses can maintain and grow the relationship more efficiently. Why spend time and money educating your consumer in person when you can do it 24/7 on your website or social media? Expos are meant for creating new strong relationships, figuring out ways to make money, and identifying new ways to save money.
The RMR Squad
For this expo, RMR brought along a few of it’s most seasoned cannabis personnel; Lorenz “Dominique Dabs” Houston, Jared Michelman, Kameron Payne, RMR’s co-founder Mitch Pfeifer, and myself. Collectively we represented four separate Washington retailers and one producer/processor.
Having seasoned budtenders, marketers, and experienced media creators on our team really helped to set our brand apart from other companies. We also were accompanied by one of our newest digital journalists, Erin Radach, who captured some of the event’s best moments. Featuring Futurola, One Gro, Wick & Mortar, Tarukino, and more, check out Erin’s full gallery below and make sure to share this article if you’re featured in one of our photos!
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